'03 Brake Bleeding ???

[Buffalo]

I have an '03 & a 91'5 & just purchased a Motive Prod. Power Bleeder Pro (0250) so that I can do the job myself. The local Firestone Tire Store wanted $117. 00 just to do the '03. At those prices, if I do the '03 once, I will be ahead of the game, money wise.



I've never done this before & have read of people breaking the bleeder valves (screws) off. They may have been older trucks & lived in areas where they salt the roads in the winter, which, would be hard on metal.



My question is, would spraying a penetrating oil, like PB Power Blaster, etc. cause any problems with contamination of the brake fluid leaching into the brake lines?

I don't know if mine are tight, or not. I'm more concerned about the '91. 5 since it's been awhile since I had a brake job done on it.



I do live in the desert SW & don't have to deal with salty roads so, there probably is not too much corrosion in the brake system. l



I'd just like to avoid problems before the show up.



Any thoughts or suggestions regarding this question or doing the brake bleeding job, itself, would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks.



Joe F. (Buffalo)



PS: My Thanks to Lightman E-300 for telling us about the Motive Prod. Brake Bleeding devices.

 

[Concrete Solutions]

Here Is my tried and true method: Clean up area around bleeder screw, wire brush,

carb or brake cleaner, blow off with compressed air if handy. Spray on your choice of

penetrator, PB works, Krolls is good, others of your choice..... CAREFUL tapping with a small hammer on the cast area around the bleeder as well as on the bleeder it self,

Careful now... don't damage it, You can be more aggresive on the cast area. Stop,

go on to the next one, do all the bleeders. Now go away leave it sit, drive it if you need to, doesn't sound like your in a hurry so wait a day spray and tap again.



If your worried do it as many times as you want, for a week if it makes you feel better

and they look bad. IF you have an air chisel and a blunt tip and a air regulator and good control vibrate the cast around the bleeder and this will really get the oil down into the treads. Then with a GOOD 6 point socket, I use a 1/4 in drive with a mini

1/4 breaker bar to prevent over torque. Bring up tension to SLIGHTLY TIGHTEN the bleeder. and lightly tap on handle with small hammer, did you feel it move just a wee?

If so Great, your golden if not you can try to unscrew at this point, pushing, tapping

It should break loose. 99% it will. NO Go ? TRY to tighten again keep spraying and banging on to the cast and socket to force the oil down into the threads. If it breaks loose but starts to get tight a turn or so up, spray and retighten back and forth till it slowly works its way out. Still won't budge, spray and wait or torch heat the cast.

to expand the cast iron. wanna go nuts? freeze the bleeder screw with dry ice while cast is hot.

YOU did buy new bleeder screws to replace the old ones didn't you? Good.

Put a small amount Anti sieze on the treads and insert the new bleeder screw

in to the cyl or caliper.



Follow the instructions found on your bleeder kit.



A word of Caution: If you are bleeding the old fashioned way, two man, pump bleed

retighten, pump... ... ... .

DO NOT let the pedal go to the floor, the reason for this is that on SOME master cyl

over-travel can cut the seals inside M-cyl as they pass over the drilled ports in the cyl. During normal operation they never come close to them.



A final step if you live in a salt enviro. or if your just anal like I am, post bleeding

you can clean up the area around the bleeder and after your all done and every thing is

tight and done put a drop of locktight blue over the exposed theads and cast to seal out the dirt and salt.



Make sure all the dripped or spilled brake fluid gets cleaned up asap it kills paint and most everything it gets on.



Replace the rubber caps on top of the bleeders to keep out dirt and water.

Buy new if needed or are missing.



Good Luck

Rich

 

[rbattelle]

I'm one of 2 people on here with a broken bleeder; HOBrian is the other. Here's the thread on the subject.



After I snapped mine, I bought a set of left hand drill bits and extractors. I then spent 2 weeks dousing it with PB Blaster, tapping it with various hammers, and heating it up. When I finally went in to remove the broken screw, I had no success. As far as I'm concerned, the screw is electrochemically welded in place.



I bought a new caliper and will install it in the spring (probably along with 3 other calipers, since the others look as bad as the one that broke.



I've very angry with Dodge about this.



-Ryan

 

[LesStallings]

Rich,



Excellent advise. I restore old cars and you have perfectly described the accepted method for loosening 50+ year old bleeder screws.



Hopefully it will work on a much "fresher" vehicle!!

 

[Buffalo]

GUYS,



Thank you, very much, for the great, helpful replys.



RICH,



Thank you for your terriffic response. My Father's own Doctoral Dissertation didn't go into as much detail. I feel much better about tackling this project, now.



Joe F. (Buffalo)